Latest releases reviewed

THE WHITE STRIPES The Denial Twist XL  ***

Here's a dance we all know well - you just put your nose down so you can't see what's in front of your face, and shimmy straight for the door. Another fine honky tonk piano stomp from the duo's Get Behind Me Satan album, backed with a killer cover of The Greenhornes' Shelter of Your Arms. Let's twist again!

GORILLAZ Dirty Harry Parlophone  ****

Are you feeling mucky, punk? Gorillaz raise the tone a bit here, bringing in a bunch of strings and even a children's choir. Russell, 3-D, Noodle and Murdoc have still got the dirty ol' electro funk thang going, though.

FOO FIGHTERS  Resolve  Roswell  ** 

Not an anthem to a certain hangover remedy, this grunge-metal power ballad is the third single from the band's double CD, and sounds like Buffalo Tom crossed with Tom Petty. I'm more of a Berocca man myself.

50 CENT Window Shopper G Unit/Interscope  **

Fiddy's got the perfect anthem for Christmas, all about looking in BT's window and wishing your credit limit wasn't stretched all the way to Compton. This is from his new movie, a tale of a poor rappin' boy who meets a magician named Marshall and gets rich without even tryin'.

THE DEAD 60S Ghostfaced Killer Deltasonic  **

This is a scary ska tune about a pasty-faced dude with murder in his dead eyes. And where does this spectral stalker lurk? In the Specials' ghost town, of course.

LADY SOVEREIGN Hoodie Island  **

It's been banned in British shopping centres, but 16-year-old grime girl Sov is on a "save the hoodie" campaign, recruiting Basement Jaxx to help her bring the classic chav costume back into vogue. Skangers unite!

LEYA On All My Sundays Rubyworks  ***

It's not a beautiful day for this Belfast band - in fact, it's Sunday, bloody rainy Sunday. OK, these lovelorn lads need to take a raincheck on the U2 and Starsailor sounds, but I don't want to rain on their emotional pop parade.